The biggest night in fashion returned last night in New York after a short but sweet six month hiatus, thanks to the backlog and cancellations due to a certain pandemic. And whilst the theme was ‘In America: an Anthology of Fashion’, with a special focus on ‘Gilded Glamour’, it was the European designers whose looks dominated the red carpet this time around.
Notably, the queen of the Met was not in attendance – in person, at least. As Rih is nearing her due date, it’s understandable that she skipped proceedings this time around. However, although she was missed, this allowed a successor to take the throne: Kim Kardashian. Confirming the rumours that she was planning on gracing us with a full on Marilyn moment, Kim’s look has already been the most talked about of the night, as she wore a $5 million Jean Louis costume dress – which happened to be the exact same one that Marilyn Monroe wore when singing Happy Birthday Mr. President. Casual.
However, never one to miss out on a party, Rihanna’s presence was still felt in the Met, as she was immortalised in a marble statue within the museum. Back to IRL attendees, and we’re running down our favourite looks of the night – grouped by the brands who understood the assignment. From Stormzy referencing the late great Andre Leon Talley in Burberry, to Rosalia giving Gilded Glamour Extravaganza in Givenchy, scroll through to take a look.
VERSACE
Donatella never misses. Creating Kylie and Kendall’s best Met looks to date as well as fitting out a ton of other celebrities for the biggest night in fashion, it’s fair to say that Versace looks reigned supreme last night, too. In true celeb fashion, Blake Lively performed a dramatic outfit-change on the steps of the Met, which transformed from gold to blue and featured a corset bodice with long train. Elsewhere, Gigi Hadid gave us one of the most striking looks of the night: an all-crimson ensemble which paired a latex catsuit with an oversized, dragging puffer. Going for a more classic take on the theme, Olivia Rodrigo said opulence in a crystal gown, and Emily Ratajkowski brought the colour in a gemstone-embellished dress.
BURBERRY
We get it – Burberry hasn’t always been the brand of choice. Especially in recent years. But with a flurry of new, innovative campaigns and a drive to recapture the attention of the industry, they’re starting to make waves again. Last night encapsulated this – with a slew of looks that were quite simply, lit. Stormzy deviated from his usual uniform of an all-black tracksuit, instead donning an all-white Burberry ensemble with a cape that no doubt referenced Andre Leon Talley – who’s commentary was greatly missed last night. Elsewhere, Lila and Kate Moss proved it runs in the family, with a minimal yet classic approach to the theme which has earned them several spots on ‘best dressed’ lists everywhere. Unlike Gigi, Bella Hadid went all-black in Burberry, as did Irina Shayk – who although maybe didn’t fit the theme that well, definitely delivered in the drama.
GIVENCHY
Another winning brand of the night was Givenchy. Matthew Williams showed up and out this year, but the most memorable of his roster was no doubt Rosalia. Attending in an all-white gown, the silhouette recalled elements of Old Glamour, updated with modern flourishes like an all-crystal Givenchy bag. The brand delivered on the menswear front too, decking out Jack Harlow in a chocolate satin-silk suit which demonstrated its keen command of tailoring, and offered something different than the droves of monochromatic tuxedos on show. A+ for Givenchy.
OTHER
Whilst these three were the heavy hitters of the night, there were also some other standalone looks from other brands that had to be mentioned. One of which is Gucci – whose Renaissance-inspired gown for Billie Eilish has been praised online thus far. Playing up to those who have noticed Alessandro Michele and Jared Leto’s visual similarities, the pair arrived in matching suits and glam that gave twins from The Shining, but make it fashion.
Always guaranteed to be a hit, we saw Winnie Harlow in Iris Van Herpen, and Kaia Gerber provided the pre-Raphaelite aesthetic with a silver jewelled Alexander McQueen gown. One that has divided opinions has been Kylie Jenner in Off-White’s closing couture look – pairing the brand’s ‘wedding dress’ with an Off-White baseball cap and veil. Whatever your thoughts on the look, it did hit the theme – and showed a willingness to take risks on the red carpet.
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